Wildfires have ravaged areas of Los Angeles, California, the most populous state in the United States, killing at least five people and destroying thousands of homes.

More than 130,000 residents in various Los Angeles neighborhoods have been ordered to evacuate as the fires that broke out on Tuesday continued to spread rapidly, driven by high winds.

So how big are the fires now and how did they start?

What started the California wildfires?

The first fire broke out at 10:30 am (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Investigators are still trying to figure out what exactly triggered the worst fire in recent memory, but a combination of factors may have created the best conditions for the blaze.

California typically sees wildfires in June and July and can last into October, but this year’s fires defied the calendar and broke out in January, the coldest month of winter.

Southern California, where the fires started, has been in a drought, with no significant rainfall in months. Last year, less than 4% of California was affected by drought, while this year the proportion is close to 60%. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says climate change is leading to increases in the frequency, length of seasons and areas burned by wildfires.

Therefore, dry conditions fueled by Santa Ana winds—hot, dry winds common in the region—likely sparked the wildfires.

Dry desert air flows from the interior of the region toward the coast and offshore. It can contribute to wildfires because its drying properties significantly reduce ambient humidity. This can cause vegetation to become severely dehydrated and susceptible to fire. In this case, any spark could start a fire, whether it’s a cigarette butt, a vehicle, or an electrical wire.

Wind gusts of up to 100 mph (160 kph) were recorded at higher elevations Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Danielle Ehresman.

In addition to dry vegetation, Los Angeles is home to other flammable materials such as low-hanging electrical cables and wooden phone booths.

Santa Ana winds have been linked to extreme wildfires in California in the past, including the Woolsey Fire in November 2018, which killed three people and leveled 1,600 structures.

But experts warn bad weather conditions This year.

“We really haven’t seen a wet season like the last one followed by a dry season like this year – all the grass and vegetation is super lush and then followed by such a massive wind event and the weather is still It’s very dry,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said during a live broadcast on Monday.

How big are the California wildfires?

spread rapidly

The fire started in Pacific Palisades and quickly spread to other communities from there. A second fire broke out in Eaton at around 6pm (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday. A third fire, known as the Hurst Fire, broke out on the same day in Sylmar, located in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles.

Five more fires broke out in California on Wednesday: the Lidia, Sunset and Woodley fires in Los Angeles; the Olivas Fire in Ventura and the Taylor Fire in Riverside.

Amount of land burned

According to Cal Fire, the current status of the major fires as of Wednesday evening is as follows:

• Palisade: at least 6,970 hectares (17,234 acres)
• Eaton: at least 4,290 hectares (10,600 acres)
• Hurst: at least 346 hectares (855 acres)
• Lydia: At least 140 hectares (348 acres)
• Sunset: minimum 17 hectares (43 acres)

The Woodley Fire burned 30 acres (12 hectares), while the Olivas and Taylor Fires each burned 11 acres (4.5 hectares).

Here’s a comparison of aerial images of the Pacific Coast Highway before and after the Palisades fire.

This is Altadena before and after the Eaton Fire.

contain

Fire containment percentage refers to the perimeter or containment line that firefighters establish around a fire to prevent it from spreading further. A containment line can be any physical barrier around a fire, such as a shallow trench dug in the dirt.

California’s fires are barely under control, meaning there’s nothing to stop them from spreading further. The Palisades, Eaton and Sunset fires have 0% containment, while the Hurst Fire has 10% containment and the Lidia Fire has 40% containment.

According to Cal Fire, the Woodley, Olivas and Taylor fires are 100% contained.

What is the government’s response?

According to the local fire department, the fire was out of control.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a post Wednesday night that 7,500 firefighters are currently on the scene.

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden has canceled an upcoming trip to Italy to focus on the federal response to the fires.

Biden posted on his X account that his team had provided five aerial tankers and 10 firefighting helicopters. However, strong winds hampered air rescue efforts.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marone told a news conference that firefighters from six other states, including Nevada, were being rushed to California. In addition, 250 engine companies and 1,000 employees are moving from Northern California to Southern California.

But resources are drying up.

A lack of water in the Palisades caused some fire hydrants to go dry.

Janisse Quinones, CEO of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told a media conference that Pacific Palisades relies on three water tanks, each with a capacity of about 1 million gallons (3.78 million liters). Quinones added that firefighting needs for water at lower elevations create difficulties in filling water tanks at higher elevations.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has issued evacuation orders for Hollywood, Hurst and Palisades. Click here View LAFD’s interactive evacuation map.

What to do next?

Wind speeds have weakened to about 30-50 mph (50-80 km/h), but the fire remains active.

Unfortunately, winds are expected to pick up Thursday night and Friday morning. However, these winds will not be as severe as those that fueled the fires on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Winds are expected to weaken on Friday and red flag fire warnings will be lifted later that evening.